Proposed Changes to the Milk Act to Include Adding Sheep Milk

The government is proposing changes to the Milk Act that will include adding sheep milk under the Act and developing new regulations for sheep milk production, transport and processing.

Today, sheep milk producers are regulated under the Public Health Act, which does not have an extensive regulatory or inspection regime. The changes proposed by the government will address, “inconsistent regulatory oversight of milk in Ontario”.

The full language of the proposed changes to the legislation can be found here: Proposal to amend the Milk Act and the Food Safety and Quality Act, 2001 with more detail in the included PDF.

Ontario Sheep Farmers is working with the Dairy Sheep Co-operative to coordinate a response from sheep milk producers to the proposed changes to the Milk Act. OSF would also like to hear from producers who are milking sheep and have questions or concerns about the proposed changes to the regulatory environment.

OSF will be holding a meeting to discuss the proposed changes on February 12th at 7 pm. Please follow this link to register: https://bit.ly/4jCBSjR

If you are unable to attend but would like to discuss these changes, please contact Erin Morgan at emorgan@ontariosheep.org or 519-831-0850.

There will also be a presentation from Phillip Wilman, Raw Milk Quality Program Coordinator from OMAFA, on the Milk Act and the compliance experience of goat milk producers at the Dairy Sheep Symposium on March 25th in Floradale. More details here: https://bit.ly/4aIhj1IDetails and Timelines:

OSF has until February 14th to provide comments on the proposed changes to the Milk Actwithin the consultation period. However, the provincial election will mean this process will be delayed until the new government is in place and a Bill to amend the Milk Act can be proposed to the new cabinet. Even when the bill is passed, there will not be an impact on sheep dairy farmers until the regulations are developed and come into force. That process could take two to three years from today